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Guillaume Passavy has recorded Sooty Shearwaters Puffinus griseus (a potential candidate species for ACAP listing) flying past an offshore drilling platform off the coast of Gabon, West Africa in the North Atlantic, publishing his findings in the journal Marine Ornithology.

The paper's summary follows

"From 1 to 18 October 2007, about 2000 Sooty Shearwaters were observed migrating offshore from Gabon, most in small groups consisting of one to seven birds.  The maximum intensity of the migration occurred within 10 days, with a peak centered on 9 October.  According to the available data, the Sooty Shearwaters migrating during this period may be even more numerous.  These results are in contrast to the expected figure-eight migration pattern followed by the Sooty Shearwater in the Pacific and by Cory's Shearwater in the Atlantic, and also in contrast to the recently discovered energy-saving use of wind corridors by Cory's Shearwater in the Atlantic.  The Sooty Shearwaters seen off Gabon may have been young birds that lacked the experience to choose the most favorable migration routes or adults trapped in sub-optimal wind corridors appearing initially to be more energy-saving.  More studies are required to determine the migration."

Sooty Shearwater.  Photograph by John Graham

Reference:

Passavy, G. 2011.  Migration of the Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus off Gabon.  Marine Ornithology 39: 147-150.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 January 2012